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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. land — a country
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com